Quotes of the day

posted at 9:01 pm on March 5, 2011 by Allahpundit

“Defying his reputation as a 1950s square, the new, more casual Mitt Romney is popping up around the country as he readies a second run for president. He’s going tieless on network TV, strolling NASCAR pits in Daytona and sporting skinny Gap jeans bought for him by his wife.

“His latest campaign book, just out in paperback, opens with a regular-guy scene: wealthy Mitt in a Wal-Mart checkout line, buying gifts for his grandsons and comparing the surroundings to Target, another discount store he says he’s familiar with.

“The image tweaks are part of a broader makeover as Romney prepares to run from what should be an enviable spot: He’s the early Republican favorite — though far from an inevitable nominee.”

***
“When Mitt Romney returns to New Hampshire on Saturday to make his first public appearance since prior to the 2010 midterm election, he will have two key Republicans from the North Country and Lakes Region behind his likely presidential bid.

Veteran Executive Councilor Raymond Burton of Bath and state Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley of Wolfeboro told the Primary Status they will endorse the former Massachusetts governor should he run, as is expected…

“‘He can best articulate and has the background to turn around our economy because he’s a business person and understands the decisions that America is going to have to make in terms of global competitiveness better than anyone else out there,’ said Bradley.”

***
“Several Republican strategists who worked on Mr. Romney’s first presidential campaign said they had urged him to try to get ahead of the controversy a year ago during the national health care debate. But they said their suggestions were overruled.

“‘He made a huge mistake not litigating his health care record when Obamacare was on the table,’ said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who advised the early stages of Mr. Romney’s last race. ‘He should have been the leading opponent and said, ‘I can tell you better than anyone, don’t do this.’ But now he’s chosen to litigate this during a campaign, which is the worst time to do it.’”

***
“‘I don’t see any way he can become the nominee,’ said Eddie Mahe Jr., a former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee…

“It’s too early to predict which of the potential candidates will prove the strongest alternative to Romney. But the fragmented field suggests two possible scenarios. One is that a multitude of feuding conservatives divide the GOP base into many pieces, allowing Romney to muscle his way through the crowded field.

“But it’s more likely, Mahe suggests, that a candidate such as Pawlenty, Barbour or Daniels finds the sweet spot in the race: one step to the right of Romney but one step to the left of everyone else.

“‘If you have 12 lookalikes, the one who’s the most moderate may end up a winner,’ he said.”

***
“Living in New Hampshire, you’ve heard of our healthcare program next door in Massachusetts. You may have noticed that the President and his people spend more time talking about me and Massachusetts healthcare than Entertainment Tonight spends talking about Charlie Sheen.

“Our approach was a state plan intended to address problems that were in many ways unique to Massachusetts. What we did was what the Constitution intended for states to do—we were one of the laboratories of democracy.

“Our experiment wasn’t perfect—some things worked, some didn’t, and some things I’d change. One thing I would never do is to usurp the constitutional power of states with a one-size-fits-all federal takeover.

“I would repeal Obamacare, if I were ever in a position to do so. My experience has taught me that states are where healthcare programs for the uninsured should be crafted, just as the Constitution provides. Obamacare is bad law, bad policy, and it is bad for America’s families.

“The federal government isn’t the answer for running healthcare any more than it’s the answer for running Amtrak or the Post Office. An economy run by the federal government doesn’t work for Europe and it won’t work here.”

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Let us not mince words. There are at most five plausible Republican presidents on the horizon – Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Utah governor and departing ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, former Massachusetts governor Romney and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.

If you think that we have any other options at this point, you’re dreaming.

Yes, very nice chorus indeed. How kind of him to kick it off with such a gleeful spirit.

Sing it loud and sing it proud. May it echo over the hills and through the valleys and float among amber waves of grain, all the way to our mountain’s majesty. May it may reach the ears of millions of patriots who repeat it with the same gleeful spirit for which it was first intended.

Yes indeed—George Will is a modern day prophet. He has the penetrating vision and foresight of Nostradamus and The Oracle at Delphi all rolled into one. Don’t let the fact that he look like a squirrelly Kermit-the-Frog-Cartoon character fool you. He has a crystal ball for a brain and a ouija board in his brief case. He can channel Miss Cleo in rare moments when things seem obscure and when that doesn’t work he has The Amazing Kreskin on retainer.

Yes indeed—George Will is a modern day prophet. He has the penetrating vision and foresight of Nostradamus and The Oracle at Delphi all rolled into one. Don’t let the fact that he look like a squirrelly Kermit-the-Frog-Cartoon character fool you. He has a crystal ball for a brain and a ouija board in his brief case. He can channel Miss Cleo in rare moments when things seem obscure and when that doesn’t work he has The Amazing Kreskin on retainer.

Yes, the Phillies starting staff is scary good. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley lead a pretty good offense as well. They will be tough. Red Sox are my team so I am going with my heart with picking them, although they should be very good as well. Who knows in the marathon that is a MLB season.

Ha Ha!! I had forgotten about Will’s dislike of all things denim. Poor Romney. I guess the “plausible” list is down to four.

Mitt bought a lot of companies with Bain but over time how many jobs were lost? Too many.

tim c on March 5, 2011 at 9:40 PM

You sound like a Liberal. Evidently, Conservatives have no problem using idiotic liberal arguments against fellow conservatives when it serves their agenda.

As I’ve said too often I wonder how much real difference there is between the right and left.

For the record, can you tell me how many jobs were “lost” when he financed the creation of Staples? How many jobs were “lost” in floundering companies he purchased and saved from eventually bankruptcy by helping these companies fix their core problems with Bain Consultants? [assuming you know who and what Bain Consulting is]

As for Romneycare, maybe some of you have noticed:
1) People of MA have made no attempt to repeal it and have further ratified it by returning Deval Patrick to office and electing Democrats to every Constitutional office in the last election
2) People from MA do not want a Federal takeover of healthcare as evidenced by them electing Scott Brown in an attempt to block it and other items on Obama’s agenda.

I though conservatives were all for States doing their own thing. Again, I guess that’s just rhetoric that’s abandoned the minute it no longer suits their agenda.

He can change the packaging, but its the contents that don’t change and no matter how pretty it is on the outside, the contents isn’t selling any time soon.

As for the rest of the ‘centerists’ we have Weathervane Daniels, Old School Haley, ‘Let everyone else stand up before I can figure out if I should’ Pawlenty, and the aforementioned Clothes Horse Romney. These are not people to the ‘center’ by any form of the imagination. And the Republican Party of today is slowly being liquidated by district and precinct meetings which will set the tone for 2012. With NH already in the Tea Party category, that makes for an interesting time in the ‘Really Must Win’ early primaries. And if FL or SC go Tea Party, then the ‘center’ will find itself lacking delegates come mid-MAR 2012.

Keep an eye out for what happens at the State level in the next couple of months. That will tell you who can be elected, and who has an over-inflated ego come DEC 2011.

Let’s see. Decisions, decisions. Who should I suppose is better informed and more capable of providing an intelligent opinion on GOP politics, George Will or some anonymous dude who calls himself “chief” on a H/A? You know, color me gullible but I think that Will is probably a better source.

“Presidents Bob Dole and John McCain totally agree with you.
powerpro on March 6, 2011 at 6:14 AM”

Exactamundo! And touche, Powerpro. Will’s list is massively unispiring. Barbour is the most ‘charismatic’ on the list and the most conservagtive, but I cannot imagine him getting the nomination. Will, quite a bowtie wearing kook himself, should refrain from pognosticating.

When are the reserves going to be released?
I see San Diego is $3.70 a gallon.

OmahaConservative on March 6, 2011 at 4:33 AM

I just got back from a short vacation to San Diego (Del Mar, specifically)… Regular gas IS $4.00/gallon, with mid-grade and premium OVER $4.00 a gallon… No sign of it slowing down, and no sign of more US drilling… Strategic reserves: the Administration will probably wait until $5 a gallon, which at this rate, will be this summer…

Mitt can’t give an explanation of RomneyCare because any truthful answer would reveal Mitt for what he is: a political opportunist and unprincipled RINO.

Mitt needed RomneyCare in 2008 to have something to show for his years as Mass Gov. He had zero concern that he was handing the bill over to the Massachusetts governing power structure which is 100% Democratic/Union.

Mitt fled the Commonwealth and hoped the piper would not have to be paid in MA until he was safely elected President.

Who should I suppose is better informed and more capable of providing an intelligent opinion on GOP politics, George Will or some anonymous dude who calls himself “chief” on a H/A?
MJBrutus on March 6, 2011 at 7:57 AM

Who should I suppose is better informed and more capable of providing an intelligent opinion on GOP politics, George Will or some anonymous dude who calls himself “chief” on a H/A?
MJBrutus on March 6, 2011 at 7:57 AM

You determine who is better informed and politically savvy by whether or not someone uses an internet pseudonym? Not by considering the content and wisdom of what they’re saying?

Nice try. No, I make my determination based on a long history of reading and admiring Will’s commentary as well as his excellent reputation for journalism as compared to the anonymous ramblings of “powerpro.” Especially so when the “content and wisdom” of these anonymous posters are nothing more than declarative assertions with no supporting logic.

What makes one an elite? Is it that, like Will, he’s extremely well educated, intelligent and talented? Is it that he does his research thoroughly and presents his material in an enjoyable, clear and well-supported way? Is it that others have tremendous respect for his intellect and accomplishments? If so, then by all means I’m perfectly comfortable with to placing great weight on such an elite‘s opinions.

I still do not see “small government” in his chatter. I strongly fear he is a large government dinosaur who will not do the country any particular good if he is elected.

He is pro-business, he says. Is that pro-big-business, which we need far far less of, or is he pro-small-business, the start-ups and idea factories of the nation? His record seems to me to suggest the former more than the latter. (And I think that is what did in the mega-business women here in California in 2010. They were “big” not “small” sorta-Republicans.)

And Huckabee is the other front runner, and he’s a lunatic bigoted buffoon.

I though conservatives were all for States doing their own thing. Again, I guess that’s just rhetoric that’s abandoned the minute it no longer suits their agenda.

TheBigOldDog on March 6, 2011 at 7:17 AM

Oh, boy, I’ll say. Disturbing, isn’t it?

It turns out that more than a few of the people who’ve jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon & are now proclaiming their strict allegiance to the constitution and agitating for states’ rights vis-a-vis the Federal government are just using those principles as the bogus pretext to autocratically impose their own top-down, one-size-fits-all dictates nationwide.

The people of the states of Massachusetts or New Jersey don’t vote the way the folks in Alabama or North Carolina would? They actually took to heart the founders’ intent that states should serve as laboratories for democracy, as proving grounds for political experiment?

Well that just won’t do. We’ll have to cram Alabama’s majority ideology down New England voters’ throats, Nancy Pelosi style. Totalitarianism masquerading as conservatism – ‘for the good of the children’, of course.

So much for constitutionalism. So much for states’ rights and individual liberty.

So much for returning power back to the grass roots where the grass roots live. The only grass roots who get to have their say are the ones who agree with us!

These Cafeteria Constitutionalists are no better than their leftist counterparts when they arrogantly seek to usurp everybody else’s power of self-determination & dictate to people halfway across the country how they should live their lives, conduct their business, raise their families, honor their beliefs and spend their own damn money.

A bunch of dishonest hypocrites, they are. It’s all just a convenient charade for them – their own very Alinskyite means to a quite faux-conservative end.

The people of the states of Massachusetts or New Jersey don’t vote the way the folks in Alabama or North Carolina would? They actually took to heart the founders’ intent that states should serve as laboratories for democracy, as proving grounds for political experiment?

leilani on March 6, 2011 at 2:35 PM

Are people in Alabama or North Carolina asking for Massachusetts to repeal its health care law? I must’ve missed that. Ohhhhhhh…by not supporting Romney based on his support of MassCare they are destroying those “laboratories of democracy”. I see. OK.

Nice try. No, I make my determination based on a long history of reading and admiring Will’s commentary as well as his excellent reputation for journalism as compared to the anonymous ramblings of “powerpro.” Especially so when the “content and wisdom” of these anonymous posters are nothing more than declarative assertions with no supporting logic.

MJBrutus on March 6, 2011 at 11:47 AM

Yes because nothing says brilliant commentary like pant crease lover.

And what declarative assertion did I make? I asked a question, which also wouldn’t be considered much of a “ramble”.